1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of timber feeding apparatuses and especially to apparatuses for single feeding of timber from a single layer mat of the timber.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Nowadays the saw mill industry uses different individual batching devices which receive their actuating orders on the basis of either the thickness, width, or length, of the timber, or a combination of these. Also known are timber batching devices of the type mentioned in the first paragraph, in which pieces of timber are batched from a first conveyor by means of a second or an intermediate conveyor onto a third conveyor which has been provided with thrusting members or grippers so that one piece of timber comes into each interval between the thrusting members regardless of the length and the thickness of the timber. The problem has been the elimination of the effects of width variations on the batching.
The currently used timber batching devices can be divided into two main categories. In the first category, pieces of timber which succeed one another in a mat of timber are lifted one by one from the first conveyor level over a stop device so that the piece is thrust onto an intermediate conveyor which moves at a greater velocity to create a gap between the pieces of timber and to transfer them into the intervals between the thrusting members of a third conveyor, one into each interval. In the second category, the stop device lowers for a certain period and releases one piece of timber at a time either along an intermediate conveyor or directly into the thrusting member intervals of a conveyor with thrusting members.
Satisfactory batching results at a rate of 50-60 pieces of timber a minute have been achieved in both categories. Other technology has, however, developed so rapidly that at the moment the batchers should be capable of batching more than 100 pieces of timber a minute in continuous operation. The above devices are not capable of this, and so many errors have occurred in the batching that the entire production rhythm has been confused.
The object of the present invention is to eliminate the above disadvantages and to provide a device, faster and more dependable than previously, for the individual batching of timber.